7 of the best dishes to try in Thailand

2/16/2018

When visiting Thailand, one of the best things to look out for is the food. With such varied, exciting and delicious dishes on offer, her...

When visiting Thailand, one of the best things to look out for is the food. With such varied, exciting and delicious dishes on offer, here are seven of the very best to try whilst on your Thai adventure.

Pad Thai

There’s simply no way you can visit Thailand without grabbing at least one bowl of Pad Thai. It’s the culinary staple of the country – popular all over the world, you won’t try a better example than from the source.

A lot of food in Thailand is served up from street stalls, especially in cities such as Bangkok, so don’t hesitate to follow the crowds and try your very own. You can often choose what goes in it, and it’s all prepared fresh – you can watch the chefs cook it right in front of you. Don’t dive in with anything too spicy, though, as Pad Thai often has the potential to be hot, as highlighted by 1Cover.

Noodle soup

Another coveted Thai dish is noodle soup – and it’s also incredibly diverse. There are common options, such as the most popular kuai tiao nam sai, alongside more eccentric, adventurous choices, such as seafood-based soups.

And sometimes, noodle soup isn’t even soup at all. Kuai-tiao haeng removes the broth, serving the soup dry instead. Be sure to season your dish when it arrives too – common choices are fish sauce and chilli powder.

Suki

This is a dish best served with friends. Suki is almost like a hotpot – choose your ingredients you want in the bowl and then choose to have the suki dry, or with soup. You’ll also have boxes on the table with spices to season the dish with.

Served in restaurants between groups, this is a great dish to share between friends over drinks and conversation. It’s rich, tasty and won’t leave you feeling hungry afterwards – and perhaps best of all, you can pretty much have whatever you want in it.

Khao gang

Another wildly popular street food is khao gang, labelled by The Guardian as a popular fixture on Thailand’s streets. It’s essentially a bed of rice covered with either a fragrant, rich curry or traditional stir fry – and the results are always delectable.

The name quite literally means “cover rice with a topping”, so it’s easy to assume what you’ll be getting here. It’s a quick, easy and rich street food that’ll definitely fill you up.

Roti

With Indian origins, roti is a dish that showcases the best of Thailand’s culinary fusions. It’s a flatbread not far removed from India’s paratha, and serves to be one of the quickest, easiest and tastiest snacks in the country.

Best of all, it’s versatile – have it with condensed milk and sugar for a sweet treat, or alternatively with curry for breakfast (a common meal in southern areas of the country). If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat, roti is one of the best options.

Khao soi

This Burmese-influenced dish isn’t massively popular – you likely haven’t heard much of it – but it’s one of the best offerings Thailand serves up. Often found in the north of the country, khao soi is traditionally made with wide rice noodles and broth, with ingredients such as pork, tomatoes, rind and chopped scallions thrown in, too.

It’s definitely a more adventurous dish, but try some and it’ll likely be a very rewarding experience.

Banana pancakes

Backpacking through Thailand will almost certainly lead you to banana pancakes. They’re renowned for being the food almost every traveller relies on for their sheer deliciousness – and although they can be found throughout Southeast Asia, as highlighted by TripSavvy, there’s no better example than the ones found here.

These pancakes are often served roti-style with condensed milk, so if you’re seeking a sweet treat, this is undeniably the best option.

Celine Chiam is a Singapore Lifestyle, Beauty and Fashion blogger. Welcome to her world of beauty reviews, travelogues and every day tips! She's on #dayre (@chiamhuiy) and instagram (@chiamhuiy) as well.